Dalgety bay - tales of the unexpected

I was expecting I might have a Red Admiral or possibly a Painted Lady to add to the butterfly list by the end of August, and though I suspect one of the latter was in the garden last week it shot off over the hedge before I could be sure. I even hoped I might land a Speckled Wood, since they've been reported in the square previously. What I wasn't expecting was this ...

Purple Hairstreak

Apart from that a fairly routine grind of additions with some more discards/escapes that truly reflect the reality of the Dalgety Bay flora. 2.5 a day for 1200 by end August. Looks promising.


Numbers:

1181		diptera	Microchrysa polita	A Soldier Fly
1182		fungus	Paxillus involutus	Brown Rollrim
1183		flowering plant	Rheum rhabarbarum	Rhubarb
1184		flowering plant	Campanula rotundifolia	Harebell
1185		hymenoptera	Neuroterus numismalis	Silk-button Gall
1186		bird	Anthus trivialis	Tree Pipit
1187		fungus	Mycena archengeliana	A mushroom
1188		flowering plant	Aster novi-belgii agg.	Michelmas Daisy
1189		fungus	Chlorophyllum rachodes	Shaggy parasol
1190	*	lep-butterfly	Favonius quercus	Purple Hairstreak

End of Year feel...

It's only late August and there's over four months to go until the end of the year, but it feels a bit as though the year end is almost upon us. Clearly it's not, although the peak insect period has passed. Hope to get some nice autumn bird migrants, and will try to do a bit more on fungi over the next few weeks. We've had some reasonable rain over the past couple of weeks, which has freshened things up a bit, but I've done very little collecting away from the garden recently. A Willow Emerald in the garden this morning has taken me up to the 1800 mark, and quite a few lifers recently, as per the list below. I've also started on looking at stuff collected earlier in the summer - a whole winter's work there to look forward to.

1765	Marasmius rotula	Fungi	Collared Parachute
1766	Mycena tenerimma	Fungi	Frosty Bonnet
1767 *	Miyagia pseudosphaeria	Fungi	Rust on Sonchus palustris
1768 *	Xylaria longipes	Fungi	Dead Moll's Fingers
1769 *	Anoscopus flavostriatus	Hemipteroids	Hemiptera
1770	Pyrausta despicata	Lepidoptera:moths	Straw-barred Pearl
1771	Opilio canestrinii	Arachnids	Harvestman
1772	Endothenia quadrimaculana	Lepidoptera:moths	Blotched Marble
1773	Polyommatus icarus	Lepidoptera:butterflies	Common Blue
1774	Stigmella speciosa	Lepidoptera:moths	Leaf mine on Sycamore
1775	Hyles gallii	Lepidoptera:moths	Bedstraw Hawk-moth
1776	Lestes sponsa	Odonata	Emerald Damselfly
1777	Morellia hortorum	Diptera	Muscidae
1778	Vespa crabro	Hymenoptera	Hornet
1779	Himacerus major	Hemipteroids	Grey Damsel Bug
1780	Helina depuncta	Diptera	Muscidae
1781	Agriphila geniculea	Lepidoptera:moths	Elbow-stripe Grass Veneer
1782	Trifolium pratense	Vascular Plants	Red Clover
1783	Dolichopus nubilus	Diptera	Dolichopodidae
1784 *	Sarcophaga melanura	Diptera	Sarcophagidae
1785 *	Phaonia rufiventris	Diptera	Muscidae
1786	Atethmia centrago	Lepidoptera:moths	Centre-barred Sallow
1787	Schrankia costaestrigalis	Lepidoptera:moths	Pinion-streaked Snout
1788	Epinotia ramella	Lepidoptera:moths	Crescent Bell
1789	Poecilus versicolor	Coleoptera	Carabidae
1790	Caliadurgus fasciatellus	Hymenoptera	Pompilidae
1791	Sarcophaga caerulescens	Diptera	Sarcophagidae
1792 *	Sarcophaga carnaria	Diptera	Sarcophagidae
1793 *	Orius horvathi	Hemipteroids	Anthocoridae
1794 *	Limnophora triangula	Diptera	Muscidae
1795	Delia radicum	Diptera	Anthomyiidae
1796 *	Lucilia silvarum	Diptera	Calliphoridae
1797 *	Macrophya ribis	Hymenoptera	Symphyta
1798 *	Anthomyia liturata	Diptera	Anthomyiidae
1799	Oxytelus laqueatus	Coleoptera	Staphylinidae
1800	Lestes viridis	Odonata	Willow Emerald Damselfly

Dalgety Bay- plodding

Still plugging away at the square but feels like cycling uphill. I know because this morning I cycled uphill. You feel like you're getting there but not quickly! About 3 a day currently, which is more or less enough to get to 1200 by month end in as unspectacular a way imaginable.

I have managed two new for county species though, so quality over quantity perhaps - Viburnum Beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni, and Mydaea nebulosa are both unrecorded from VC85. The beetle is about the north of its range, though that seems to be moving. The fly seems very scattered in distribution and I couldn't discern anything about its preferences from the books.

The moth trap has had decent numbers of moths on warmer nights but mostly nothing new, and last night there were more flies than moths - single digits of both. Temperature must have dropped off a bit. Again nothing new although I did put something in a pot in a bleary-eyed just-woke-up sort of way and it may turn out to be an addition.

Canadian Goldenrod

Viburnum Beetle

Numbers:

1172		fungus	Pluteus cervinus	Deer Shield
1173		diptera	Eristalis horticola	A hover fly
1174		diptera	Cheilosia bergenstammi	Syrphidae
1175		lep-moth	Apamea lithoxylaea	Light Arches
1176		coleoptera	Pyrrhalta viburni	Viburnum Beetle
1177		flowering plant	Solidago canadensis	Canadian Goldenrod
1178		lep-moth	Pandemis heparana	Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix
1179		diptera	Mydaea nebulosa	A muscid fly
1180		fungus	Inocybe geophylla	A fibrecap mushroom

Dalgety Bay- Mycelium Monologue

A decent short walk s morning pre-work added to an accumulating total of fungi (and some in boxes for afters). Might clear last year's fungal total shortly.

One of my faves came out on the lawn this morning - Weeping Mary - with her black tears of despair. Epic.

Numbers:

1163		diptera	Epistrophe grossulariae	A hover fly
1164		diptera	Phaonia incana	A muscid fly
1165		lep-moth	Eupithecia centaureata	Lime-speck Pug
1166		lep-moth	Udea lutealis	A pyralid moth
1167		flowering plant	Solanum tuberosum	Potato
1168		fungus	Collybia confluens	Clustered Toughshank
1169		fungus	Coprinellus disseminatus	Fairy Inkcap
1170		fungus	Lacrymaria lacrymabunda	Weeping Mary
1171		fungus	Polyporius leptocephalus	Blackfoot polypore

Turning into a good year for moths

Had this super chap in my trap this morning. Given the very slow start to the year and the lack of migrant moths, I'm surprised to see that it may well be my best year in terms of species. The Bedstraw Hawk Moth was the 448th species for the year, and with quite a few autumn moths still to be seen plus various specimens that will be gen. detted in due course, I suspect the final total will be over 500.

Bedstraw Hawk Moth

Dalgety Bay - Fife fauna's fresh found flesh fly

A nice find yesterday in the form of the sarcophagid Macronychia striginervis

A pretty scarce fly all round it seems and a first for Scotland at some remove from the next record south (per NBN, usual caveats apply). It's been given the all clear from NMS though so that's encouraging.

Macronychia striginervis, f.

Not surprisingly the bulk of the numbers for the foreseeable will be made up of some ordering of fly-moth-fungus. Still pretty gloomy and damp here but the seaside Sonchus is getting a lot of attention along with the oraches and fading thistles. Lot of Episyrphus. Lot of Syritta pipens. Lot of Syrphus. Hopefully in among it will be some other gems like the above.

Numbers:

1152		diptera	Tachina fera	Tachinidae
1153		fungus	Scleroderma citrinum	Common Earthball
1154		diptera	Platycheirus granditarsus	A hover fly
1155	*	coleoptera	Bradycellus verbasci	A ground beetle
1156	*	lep-moth	Epinotia ramella	A micro moth
1157		fungus	Armillaria mellea	Honey Fungus
1158	*	lep-moth	Cirrhia icteritia	Sallow
1159		diptera	Cheilosia pagana	A hover fly
1160	*	diptera	Macronychia striginervis	A flesh fly
1161		diptera	Dexiosoma caninum	A tachinid fly
1162		lep-moth	Dysstroma citrata	Dark Marbled Carpet

Summer not over yet...

Felt a bit autumnal last week, with some very welcome rain, but a bit of summer again today, with a Dark Green Fritillary and second-brood Swallowtail in the garden this afternoon. A juvenile Turtle Dove was a welcome sight last week, plus lots of new insects for the year. It's turning into a good year for moths, with several species I'd not expected, the lastest being Tawny Wave, a RDB species normally found in the Brecks, this one could well have been an immigrant. A Convolvulus Hawk Moth was rather more expected but always good to see. The overall garden list now stands at 2027 species, with 1390 so far this year.

Hymenoptera have been a bit of a feature this year, partly because I've been looking for them, but some nice records in a total of 124 species, with 101 just from the garden.

Dark Green Fritillary

Swallowtail

Convolvulus Hawk Moth

Tawny Wave

Turtle Dove juvenile

1661	Chromatomyia atricornis	Diptera	Leafmine on Artemesia vulgaris
1662	Blondelia nigripes	Diptera	Tachinidae
1663	Musca domestica	Diptera	Muscidae: Musca
1664	Protocalliphora azurea	Diptera	Calliphoridae
1665	Chrysops relictus	Diptera	Twin-lobed Deerfly
1666	Lissotriton vulgaris	Amphibians	Smooth Newt
1667	Tinea pellionella	Lepidoptera:moths	Case-bearing Clothes Moth
1668	Typhlocyba quercus	Hemipteroids	Cicadellidae
1669	Gasteruption assectator	Hymenoptera	Gasteruptiidae
1670	Caliroa cerasi	Hymenoptera	Symphyta: Pear Slug Sawfly
1671	Gasteruption jaculator	Hymenoptera	Gasteruptiidae
1672	Ammophila sabulosa	Hymenoptera	Red Banded Sand Wasp
1673	Chorthippus brunneus	Orthopteroids	Field Grasshopper
1674	Solidago gigantea	Vascular Plants	Early Goldenrod
1675	Arge berberidis	Hymenoptera	Symphyta: Berberis Sawfly
1676	Pyrausta aurata	Lepidoptera:moths	Small Purple and Gold
1677	Cryphia algae	Lepidoptera:moths	Tree-lichen Beauty
1678	Tinea trinotella	Lepidoptera:moths	Bird's-nest Moth
1679	Thalpophila matura	Lepidoptera:moths	Straw Underwing
1680	Acleris forsskaleana	Lepidoptera:moths	Maple Button
1681	Acleris cristana	Lepidoptera:moths	Tufted Button
1682	Ypsolopha scabrella	Lepidoptera:moths	Wainscot Smudge
1683	Pandemis corylana	Lepidoptera:moths	Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix
1684	Acleris comariana	Lepidoptera:moths	Strawberry Tortrix
1685	Agrotis clavis	Lepidoptera:moths	Heart and Club
1686	Epinotia nisella	Lepidoptera:moths	Grey Poplar Bell
1687	Aethes beatricella	Lepidoptera:moths	Hemlock Yellow Conch
1688	Streptopelia turtur	Birds	Turtle Dove
1689	Tachina fera	Diptera	Tachinidae
1690	Eupterycyba jucunda	Hemipteroids	Cicadellidae
1691	Physiphora alceae	Diptera	Ulidiidae
1692	Phyllonorycter corylifoliella	Lepidoptera:moths	Leaf mine on Hawthorn
1693	Emmetia marginea	Lepidoptera:moths	Bordered Carl
1694	Agriphila tristella	Lepidoptera:moths	Common Grass-veneer
1695	Acleris rhombana	Lepidoptera:moths	Rhomboid Tortrix
1696	Mompha propinquella	Lepidoptera:moths	Marbled Mompha
1697	Choreutis pariana	Lepidoptera:moths	Apple-leaf Skeletonizer
1698	Pelurga comitata	Lepidoptera:moths	Dark Spinach
1699	Limnaecia phragmitella	Lepidoptera:moths	Bulrush Cosmet
1700	Eupithecia nanata	Lepidoptera:moths	Narrow-winged Pug
1701	Bledius bicornis	Coleoptera	Staphylinidae
1702	Linaria purpurea	Vascular Plants	Purple Toadflax
1703	Spaziphora hydromyzina	Diptera	Scathophagidae
1704	Archanara geminipuncta	Lepidoptera:moths	Twin-spotted Wainscot
1705	Acleris holmiana	Lepidoptera:moths	White-triangle Button
1706	Sphecodes monilicornis	Hymenoptera	Box-headed Blood Bee
1707	Camptogramma bilineata	Lepidoptera:moths	Yellow Shell
1708	Longitarsus rubiginosus	Coleoptera	Chrysomelidae
1709	Pyrrhalta viburni	Coleoptera	Viburnam Beetle
1710	Protapion fulvipes	Coleoptera	Apionidae
1711	Araneus marmoreus	Arachnids	Araneae
1712	Anthocoris simulans	Hemipteroids	Anthocoridae
1713	Sphecodes niger	Hymenoptera	Dark Blood Bee
1714	Catocala nupta	Lepidoptera:moths	Red Underwing
1715	Scopula rubiginata	Lepidoptera:moths	Tawny Wave
1716	Nomophila noctuella	Lepidoptera:moths	Rush Veneer
1717	Geometra papilionaria	Lepidoptera:moths	Large Emerald
1718	Xestia sexstrigata	Lepidoptera:moths	Six-striped Rustic
1719	Ennomos fuscantaria	Lepidoptera:moths	Dusky Thorn
1720	Phyllonorycter messaniella	Lepidoptera:moths	Garden Midget
1721	Lepisma saccharina	RSO	Silverfish
1722	Calybites phasianipennella	Lepidoptera:moths	Little Slnder
1723	Heterogaster urticae	Hemipteroids	Nettle Groundbug
1724	Deraeocoris ruber	Hemipteroids	Mirid Bug
1725	Azelia cilipes	Diptera	Muscidae
1726	Luperina testacea	Lepidoptera:moths	Flounced Rustic
1727	Ancistrocerus parietum	Hymenoptera	Wall Mason Wasp
1728	Mormo maura	Lepidoptera:moths	Old Lady
1729	Agrotis vestigialis	Lepidoptera:moths	Archer's Dart
1730	Agrius convolvuli	Lepidoptera:moths	Convolvulus Hawk-moth
1731	Ledra aurita	Hemipteroids	Cicadellidae
1732	Phyllotreta nigripes	Coleoptera	Chrysomelidae
1733	Euides speciosa	Hemipteroids	Delphacidae (Planthopper)
1734	Paralimnus phragmitis	Hemipteroids	Cicadellidae
1735	Peltodytes caesus	Coleoptera	Haliplidae
1736	Holocentropus picicornis	RSO	Caddis Fly
1737	Episyron rufipes	Hymenoptera	Pompilidae
1738	Psallus falleni	Hemipteroids	Miridae
1739	Hylaeus communis	Hymenoptera	Common Yellow-face Bee
1740	Netelia melanura	Hymenoptera	Ichneumonidae
1741	Phytocoris populi	Hemipteroids	Miridae
1742	Drosophila hydei	Diptera	Drosophilidae
1743	Agonopterix subpropinquella	Lepidoptera:moths	Ruddy Flat-body
1744	Hordeum distichon	Vascular Plants	Two-rowed Barley
1745	Terellia serratulae	Diptera	Tephriditae
1746	Linnaemya picta	Diptera	Tachinidae
1747	Ectemnius lituratus	Hymenoptera	Crabronidae
1748	Cheilosia impressa	Diptera	Syrphidae
1749	Oncopsis flavicollis	Hemipteroids	Cicadellidae
1750	Macaria liturata	Lepidoptera:moths	Tawny-barred Angle
1751	Celypha rosaceana	Lepidoptera:moths	Roseate Marble
1752	Tholera cespitis	Lepidoptera:moths	Hedge Rustic
1753	Cryphia domestica	Lepidoptera:moths	Marbled Beauty
1754	Phanacis hypochoeridis	Hymenoptera	Cynipidae- Stem gall on Cat's Ear
1755	Xestia xanthographa	Lepidoptera:moths	Square-spot Rustic
1756	Philonthus quisquiliarius	Coleoptera	Staphylinidae
1757	Ribautiana ulmi	Hemipteroids	Cicadellidae
1758	Claviceps purpurea	Fungi	Ergot
1759	Lestiphorus bicinctus	Hymenoptera	Crabronidae
1760	Gastrophysa polygoni	Coleoptera	Chrysomelidae
1761	Phylidorea ferruginea	Diptera	Crane Fly
1762	Corizus hyoscyami	Hemipteroids	Rhopalidae
1763	Dexiosoma caninum	Diptera	Tachinidae
1764	Argynnis aglaja	Lepidoptera:butterflies	Dark Green Fritillary

Dalgety Bay - Cracking Bolete, Gromit

Back on track to reach a targetted 1200 by end August. There are three categories I'd like to go over 200 in which I haven't reached yet - fungi, diptera and moths. We'll see, but the signs aren't at all bad at this point.

Cracking Bolete, X.chrysenteron

Nicrophorus investigator

Spot-the-difference indoctrination

Numbers:

1144		coleoptera	Nicrophorus investigator	A burying beetle
1145		flowering plant	Polygonum arenastrum	Equal-leaved Knotgrass
1146		fungus	Bolbitius titubans	A fungus
1147		fungus	Gymnopus acervatus	A mushroom
1148		fungus	Xerocomellus chrysenteron	Cracking Bolete
1149		fungus	Agaricus arvensis	Horse Mushroom
1150		lep-moth	Hydraecia micacea	Rosy Rustic
1151		lep-moth	Luperina testacea	Flounced Rustic

Dalgety Bay - Sleeping Village

Garchinovo, Bulgaria

In the plunge pool of Scottish weather after a week of 30+ temperatures in Bulgaria. Hasn't stopped raining since we arrived but the fungi are starting to respond. Marasmius rotula (Collared Parachute) are absolutely on every small twig on the woodland floor and a couple of additions were scooped yesterday during a rainy lunchtime walk. Looking forward to bending my mind around all the shrooms that are about to pop up.

Milking Bonnet - Mycena galopus

Bulgarian garden list included: Golden Oriole, Turtle Dove, RB Shrike, Nuthatch, Syrian Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Red-rumped Swallow, Hoopoe, Bee-eater. Butterflies and Orthoptera were off the hook. Probably like being in East Anglia.

The two new additions since returning

1142		fungus	Russula atropurpurea	Purple Brittlegill
1143		fungus	Mycena galopus	Milking Bonnet

Before the village fades into distant memory, here's another village song from the might Sabbath

800 up at Thorne

Still making much better progress than last year at Thorne. Now on 812 species made up from the following groups;
Mammals 11, birds 53, amphibians 3, fish 1, odonata 13, orthoptera 6, hemiptera 25, hymenoptera 40, butterflies 21, moths 169, coleopteran 26, diptera 48, insects (RSO) 3, mollusc 19, spiders 14, crustacean 6, annelids 5, plants 278, bryrophytes 17, fungi 26 & lichens 28.

Eype is going much slower mostly due to the fact I have not made nearly as many visits as I had initially planned. Eype currently on 665.

Rhinocerous in the garden

Five of these tiny rove beetles came to the light trap last night - Bledius bicornis, a nationally scarce staphylinid normally found in salt marshes round the coast. Pretty cool things. Have now crept over the 1700 mark.

Bledius bicornis, nationally scarce rove beetle

Dalgety Bay - autumnal air

Well shortly I shall be off to a village in the Danube delta to the birthplace of my beloved, where we shall pick fruit and veg from the garden, eggs from the chickens and honey from the bees, all the while watching the skies for migrating cranes, storks and raptors to the sound of bee-eaters on the washing lines. It will be so hard! (to come back ...)

Anyway, very quickly a chance to sprinkle a few more individuals onto the pile. Autumn is in full swing with grey skies and a bay full of returning waders - Turnstones looking very dapper still. The annual arrival of female Goosanders hit the bay too so those were nice to see this morning. Only one more bird species and I'll reach last year's properly poor tally of 90 before vismig really gets underway (still no Sand Martins or Tree Pips).

I expect by the time I get back we'll be in full "fungus and flies" swing with time for little else. I did manage to add a beetle or two though, which has been a pretty scarce occurrence this year.

Goosanders. Honest, guv.

Am I weevil? Yes I am

Numbers:

1115		coleoptera	Serica brunnea	Brown Chafer
1116		lep-moth	Crocallis elinguaria	Scalloped Oak
1117		diptera	Lydella stabulans	A tachinid fly
1118		hymenoptera	Ancistrocerus gazella	A wasp
1119		lep-moth	Blastobasis lacticolella	A micromoth
1120		lep-moth	Perizoma alchemillata	Small Rivulet
1121		lep-moth	Amphipyra pyramidea	Copper underwing
1122		lep-moth	Ypsolopha sequella	A micromoth
1123		lep-moth	Ypsolopha dentella	Honeysuckle Moth
1124		flowering plant	Fragaria vesca	Wild Strawberry
1125		cnidarian	Cyanea capillata	Lion's Mane Jellyfish
1126		coleoptera	Rhinoncus pericarpius	A polygonaceae weevil
1127		diptera	Tipula paludosa	Tipuloidea
1128		bird	Mergus merganser	Goosander

And a holiday-related tune which I can't get out of my head